1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc brake assembly and more specifically to an improved means for supporting friction pads in the disc brake assembly.
The present invention is particularly applicable to a disc brake assembly of the type which includes a rotor or disc mounted for rotation with a vehicle wheel and a floating caliper straddling the periphery of the rotor. The caliper is usually mounted on a support or torque plate by means permitting movement of the caliper in an axial direction relative to the torque plate and rotor. Brake pads are carried by the caliper on opposite sides of the rotor and are movable into contact with oppositely disposed friction braking surfaces of the rotor by actuating means usually driven by a fluid motor. In a floating caliper disc brake, each friction pad is located intermediate one leg of the caliper and the adjacent friction surface of the rotor. The actuating mechanism is usually carried by one leg of the caliper and serves to move the friction pad adjacent to that leg axially into contact with the rotor, the reaction force of the contact serving to draw the other leg of the caliper and the other friction pad into contact with the opposite surface of the rotor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disc brake pads have been provided with projections or extensions in the form of tabs which serve to mount or support the disc brake pad for sliding movement relative to a caliper. Tabs have been provided at the circumferentially spaced edges of the brake pads to be slidably carried in grooves provided to the caliper. Supporting surfaces in the form of edges have been provided at the ends of brake pads and on tabs or projections provided to the brake pads to be slidably supported by complimentary edges provided to the disc brake caliper. Examples of such arrangements may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,942,612; 3,972,393 and 4,068,743. U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,414 discloses a friction pad having a supporting tab with radially converging edges slidably carried by circumferentially spaced, radially converging edges provided to a caliper aperture.
Although various arrangements are known for supporting friction pads within a disc brake assembly, some require additional elements for preventing inadvertent displacement of the friction pads away from their operative position and others require disassembly of parts or retraction of the actuating mechanism to replace the friction pads which may not be readily accomplished in the confines of the vehicle wheel end and in the area where such work is performed. Others relying on radially converging edges or angularly disposed surfaces to support the friction pad or to transmit torque to the supporting caliper require careful attention to tolerances during manufacture to assure proper fit and location of cooperating parts when the brake is assembly. The present invention avoids these problems by providing a disc brake assembly in which the friction pads do not require additional elements for securing the same in operative position and in which the friction pads are readily accessible for inspection or replacement purposes.